Trendy trampolines cause child injuries

Bryony Page may have wowed crowds by becoming the first Brit to win an Olympic medal on a trampoline.

But new research suggests injuries sustained from indoor trampoline parks are an “emerging health concern”.

The warning comes after a study recorded 40 children needed medical treatment at one hospital in the space of just six months after trampoline accidents at an indoor park.

Last week 25-year-old Bryony won a silver medal in Rio, performing twists and turns at a staggering 30ft.

But while many youngsters may wish to emulate her, researchers stress the danger of using indoor trampoline parks, where many kids bounce simultaneously, on beds placed in close proximity to each other.

Researchers reviewed the medical records of Australian children under 17, who sought medical treatment at a children’s emergency care department between July 2014 and January 2015.

The team focussed solely on injuries sustained whilst at a trampoline park.

During a six month period, the team recorded 40 child patients, 55 per cent of which were girls, requiring treatment for their injuries.

The average age of each child patient was 10, but the youngest was just a year old.

Most of the injuries, a third, occurred while the child was on the trampoline.

And a fifth - 18 per cent - of the injuries were caused by a failed landing.

But in eight cases, the injury was the result of several different children of different sizes using the trampoline at the same time.

The research, published in the journal Injury Prevention, revealed over half of the children (52.5%) injured were simply jumping and not attempting any flips or somersaults at the time.

Six children injured themselves by landing awkwardly on something on the trampoline, such as protective padding designed to prevent falls.

Bruising and sprained ankles were the most common injuries, with 55% of the children’s medical records detailing these.

A third fractured elbow and ankle bones.

But for five children, their injuries were more serious and required surgery and a hospital admission.

Author Dr Christopher Mulligan, from The University of New South Wales said: “Most children were injured while involved in simple jumping activities (52.5%).

“However, five children (12.5%) were injured while attempting somersaults or flips.

“Six children were injured when they came into contact with something while on the trampoline.

“This included two children who landed on balls, and four children who landed on, or caught their feet in, the less elastic padding surrounding them or the hard surface floor.

“In terms of the injuries observed, the majority of patients presented with a soft tissue injury or sprain ( 55%) or fractured bone(s) (37.5%).

“One child sustained a lip laceration. One child presented with concussion, and one with chest pain.

“The lower extremity was the most frequent site of injury (67.5%), followed by the upper extremity (15%).

“The most common sprains were of the ankle. The most common fractures were supracondylar fractures of the elbow and fractures of the ankle.

“There was one fracture/dislocation of a cervical vertebra. No patients sustained a loss of consciousness.”

He added children using trampolines at home are more at risk of falling off it as they are raised above the ground or falling through the padding.

But at centres “double bouncing, or multiple users on a single trampoline, carried a significant risk for injury.

“This occurred particularly when small children were jumping with larger peers